Saturday, 1 March 2014
Allan had gone to breakfast with J9 at the Long Beach Grange.
breakfast with J9 at the Grange
home
I slept longer and then took a stroll out to the bogsy wood.
It had definitely begun to dry out…
I wanted to see some frogs in the bog but they were all hiding.
Many the crab pot was stacked next door.
I made another attempt at the crocus photo in the front garden.
the crocus run
also: narcissi
crocus and hellebores
more hellebores
and more
tulips and narcissi
Allan’s garden
After my garden walk, I called Allan to suggest that we go overseas (to Oregon) rather than work, as the grey day’s weather was changing to drizzle. The work board still had some first time clean ups on the list (and I had forgotten to add the Red Barn).
skiving off from the work board
Back Alley Gardens in Gearhart
After his breakfast, which of course had taken place at about 11 AM, Allan and I headed over the bridge toward Gearhart and our favourite north Oregon coast nursery, Back Alley Gardens.
Back Alley and The Natural Nook, formerly Fitzgeralds
March 1st at Back Alley
on the deck
a charming primula
double primula
inside the adjoining Natural Nook gift shop
The Natural Nook
We were so busy visiting with Pam and Prissy that we almost forgot our mission to buy a spare Birds Be Safe collar. Fortunately, Allan saw them after we had rung up our assortment of exciting hellebores and wee conifers.
see birdsbesafe.com
Now look! There, to the left, is the new Ducly Mahar book and I did not even notice it till now.
Pam’s Gardens in Seaside
After visiting with Pamela Fleming of Back Alley, also the gardener for Seaside, Oregon, we made our usual detour down Broadway to check out her curbside gardens. The photos are strangely composed and blurred because we were on the move. We always used to tour these gardens by car even before we met Pam in person. They never fail to impress.
nicely mulched, with amber Heucheras
an impressionistic blur by the river bridge
driving west on Broadway with gardens ahead
ever westward
one of a few big, welcoming sit spots
thick clumps of narcissi
Seaside’s famous Candy Man (handing out samples from the Candy Man store)
the western end
hydrangeas on the shady side, with nary a weed
Seaside 7 Dees
While I had gotten some extra choice small hellebores from Back Alley that will bloom next year, I still was on a quest for larger ones in bloom now. When we arrived at 7 Dees (part of a Portland-based chain), blooming hellebores awaited us along with something very exciting, indeed, breathtaking: Edgeworthias!
Hellebores and Edgeworthias
more Edgeworthias inside!
I think I got the only one of this colour: Edgeworthia chrysantha Rubra
(The tag says Edgeworthia c. Rubra, which I assume is chrysantha, which is I believe supposed to have larger flowers, but Google tells me it’s Edgeworthia papyrifera Rubra.)
and I got myself this Edgeworthia papyrifera
I was so very chuffed to find these. I used to have a precious Edgeworthia chrysantha; it had been brought to me on the train from Seattle to a Seaside spring garden seminar by none other than my gardening idol Ann Lovejoy. I adored it in my old garden and of course had to try to move it to my new one, and killed it. All I have left is one little branch; I had used its carcass, painted purple, as garden decor till it disintegrated. While these won’t have the emotional attachment for me, at least I have the excellent winter blooming shrub again.
mine! waiting to be rung up
and a pretty and fragrant wallflower came along, too…
Last year I would not have been able to buy such shrubs as we then shopped in the small two door Saturn. Look at us now!
While shopping at 7 Dees, I’d gotten a text from our friend Jenna (Queen La De Da)informing me she was on her way to Olde Towne Café in Ilwaco. When I told her we were at 7 Dees she asked if they had any of “those swirly trees”…and so we were even able to fit THIS into the van for her new shop, along with all our plants, with room to spare.
would not have fit in the Saturn!
Astoria
One of the glories of the day was not having to buy frozen food at Costco; Allan had shopped on his own earlier in the week. Thus we were able to have an early dinner in Astoria. We chose Blue Ocean Thai.
Blue Ocean Thai at the west end of Commercial
The ambience of the restaurant is perhaps a little lacking.
a big sparse room
Allan pointed out that the chandelier’s shape reminded him of an Allium.
Allium shaped chandelier
The food was exquisite. I wish the Thai restaurant that is closer to us was this good. I almost wept with joy; it had been years since I had Thai food of this quality.
so delicious
Top left: cucumber salad… The Larb Gai (bottom) was served at a cool temperature, as it should be. The Pad Prik King (green bean dish, top right) and Allan’s dish with peanut sauce filled me with joy, and there were leftovers for later.
After dinner we had a quick look, in the uncomfortably chilly dusk, at the Garden of Surging Waves. The ropes that kept us from going in last time have been removed from the new Chinese Heritage garden and many more plants added.
now open to the public
my favourite part: the wall of words
More words: metal tables (or benches?) inserted into the wall inscribed with quotations:
The last time we had looked at this garden, a big 7 Dees truck delivery truck had been parked nearby. And here, in the garden today, we saw several Edgeworthias (Chinese paper bush, so perfect for this garden’s theme). Maybe that is why they had been available for me to buy at the Seaside garden store.
Edgeworthia
home
My lovely plant haul, photographed the next day:
I had just seen Ciscoe rave about the Brazleberry on telly.
Hellebores small (very collectible) and large
I am still taking Pam’s advice and adding more columnar conifers.
Back Alley had two tables of fabulous Xera plants.
Tangly Cottage Gardening 